There is an inherent excitement found in racing to a finishing point. In fact, one might say it is basic to human nature to strive to be the first to achieve or obtain a certain finishing point. One need only to think for a few minutes to realize how many aspects of our lives involve this racing concept which in its simplest form could be a toddlers foot race. In its most complex form it may be a race such as was had when the United States and Russia were striving to be the first to land a person on the moon.
Games seem to be successful often in proportion to the way in which they imitate real life. Thus, problem solving games, question and answer games, games of physical or mental skill and myriad racing type games are common in the market place today. Depending on the complexity of these games they are suited for various age groups.
Considering the start to finish or race type games one will generally find that there is a single or primary pathway from the start to the finish. Often there are detours or side pathways which lead from the main or primary path and then return back to that path at a later point. These detours generally subject the player to certain benefits or disadvantages while traveling on the detour. Several games which are illustrative of this type of race game are marketed under the trademarks LIFE and CAREERS. These games are often more complex inasmuch as the concept of winning is clouded by the fact that these games generally use parameters to determine a winner beyond the question of who obtained the finish line first. Thus, the winner is often the one who has accumulated the most money, points or the like. Such games are generally beyond a young child's ability to analyze and reason because the child does not appreciate the various requirements for winning such a game. Thus, these games are generally suited for a child who is at least ten years old.
Other games, which are suitable for younger players also utilize a sole or primary pathway. However, instead of having detours the primary pathway has various bonus or benefit spaces and various hazard spaces. With such games the player has no decision making requirements and simply rolls the dice or spins a wheel in order to determine how many spaces his or her piece is moved on the pathway to the finish line. When the roll of the die or spin of the wheel lands the player on a hazard the players piece is generally moved backward toward the starting point. Conversely, when the roll or spin lands the player on a bonus or beneficial space the players piece is moved additional spaces forward or in some other manner advanced toward the finish line. Examples of games which illustrate this approach are marketed under the trademarks CHUTES AND LADDERS and CANDYLAND.
With this latter group of games the children can enjoy the start to finish type race but develop no reasoning or analytic abilities. In fact, I have notice that while children initially enjoy playing such games they often experience a great deal of frustration because they are provided with no choice. The child will often try to overcome this lack of choice by moving the spinner to the number he or she desires or else saying "let me spin again" when the original turn landed the player on a hazard. The parent is then faced with the uncomfortable task of either imposing the first spin upon the child causing him to land on the hazard, which, can take much of the fun out of the game, or else letting the child spin again which is still not satisfactory to the child because he or she knows that they should not have been allowed to take a second turn. Even greater frustration is encountered when the child by the luck of the roll encounters the same hazard numerous times. This leaves a child in a situation where he or she simply moves along the path subject totally to chance and feeling no sense of accomplishment in winning. Furthermore, it is my own belief that such games also tend to teach the child that the person who succeeds or wins is the person who is lucky, with virtually no emphasis upon ability.
I have thus found that for children ages 2-7 there are no suitable start to finish type games. The pathway games that have detours that lead back to the primary path have parameters for winning which are too complex for this age group. Conversely the simple start to finish race games have a variety of disadvantages as set forth above.
While I was familiar with the above games and concepts the idea for the subject invention came into being as I took my granddaughter for walks on different pathways through the woods nearby to our home. I found that she was absolutely fascinated by the realization that many different pathways could be taken that would lead through the woods. Some of these pathways even lead to the same point on the other side of the woods. Some of these pathways were rather direct and the most direct route was usually a combination of pathways that would lead us out of the woods. Other pathways wound around in various directions before finally coming out of the other side of the woods. I also realized that she quickly learned to distinguish between the pathways by recognizing unusual locations along the various pathways. It was while trying to develop a game that could be played inside on rainy days that would simulate our hikes through the woods that I developed the subject invention.